Conveyor-based frying apparatus and methods of use

ABSTRACT

A fryer can include a base having a reservoir for receiving oil for frying a food product and a hood coupled to the base. The fryer can have an inlet at an upstream section and an outlet at a downstream section. At least one conveyor can move food product from the inlet to the outlet. A first baffle member and second baffle member can be positioned over the conveyor to define a frying chamber therebetween. The first and second baffle members can restrict air from flowing into the frying chamber from outside of the frying chamber.

FIELD

This disclosure is directed to novel frying apparatuses and methods offrying food products, such as sweet potato or other potato products.

BACKGROUND

Conventional belt frying systems for food products, such as french friesor other potato products are well known. However, such conventionalsystems suffer from many drawbacks which reduce the efficiency of thesystem. For example, in many conventional belt frying systems, a largeamount of energy is required to heat the frying oil in the system;however, the frying systems are not well-contained and therefore, muchof this energy is quickly lost to the atmosphere in the form of steam.Also, many conventional belt frying systems are difficult to clean andhave structures that collect crumbs or other debris, thereby degradingoil quality and, in some cases, creating potential fire hazards.

SUMMARY

In a first embodiment, a fryer includes a base, a hood, and at least oneconveyor. The base can have a reservoir for receiving oil for frying afood product. The hood can be coupled to the base and have an inlet atan upstream section and an outlet at a downstream section. The conveyorcan move food products from the inlet to the outlet. To provide asubstantially air-tight frying chamber, a first baffle member can bepositioned over the at least one conveyor and a second baffle member canbe positioned over the at least one conveyor downstream of the firstbaffle member. The first and second baffle members can thereby define afrying chamber and the first and second baffle members can restrict airfrom flowing into the frying chamber from outside of the frying chamberto improve the efficiency of the fryer.

In some implementations, the first and second baffle members can extenddownward from a top portion of the hood and extend across the width ofthe hood to substantially restrict air from flowing into the fryingchamber. In other implementations, the first and second baffle memberscan extend downward so that a lower portion of the first and secondbaffle members is adjacent to a top surface of the at least oneconveyor. The first and second baffle members can be vertically movableto adjust a distance between the lower surface of the first and secondbaffles and the top surface of the at least one conveyor.

In some implementations, systems and methods for recapturing energy,such as steam, are provided. The hood can include a steam recapture portpositioned between the first and second baffle members. The hood canalso include at least one exhaust port positioned outside of the fryingchamber in the vicinity of at least one of the first and second bafflemembers. The exhaust port can restrict air outside of the frying chamberfrom entering the frying chamber, thereby improving the efficiency ofthe frying chamber. In some implementations, the frying chamber caninclude a first frying section and a second frying section separatedfrom the first frying section by a wall member. In otherimplementations, the conveyor can have a first conveyor member thatmoves the food product through the first frying section and a secondconveyor member that moves the food product through the second fryingsection. The first conveyor member can have an inclined section to raisethe food product over the wall member to deliver it to the second fryingsection.

In some implementations, the conveyor can include a plurality of sidelinks coupled together via rod members that extend across the width ofthe conveyor. The conveyor can also comprise a plurality of slidablemembers positioned between the side links. A channel extending along atleast a portion of the base can be configured to receive the pluralityof slidable members of the conveyor.

In another embodiment, a conveyor system for a fryer can be provided.The conveyor can include a base that has a reservoir for receiving oilfor frying a food product. A top and bottom channel can be provided inthe base. A conveyor for moving food product from an upstream area ofthe fryer to a downstream area of the fryer can comprise a plurality ofside links coupled together via rod members that extend across the widthof the conveyor. A plurality of slidable members can extend at leastpartially into the top and bottom channels in the base. Each slidablemember can be configured to receive at least a portion of one side linkto retain the conveyor in the top and bottom channels and restrictcontact of the side links with the base.

In some implementations, the slidable member comprises a polyether etherketone. The slidable member can be generally the same width as a depthof the top and bottom channels. Each slidable member can comprise arecessed portion on an inside face for receiving a portion of the sidelink that extends outward towards the top and bottom channels, and eachslidable member can comprise a recessed portion on an outside face toreceive a retainer for securing the rod member to the slidable member.

In some implementations, each side link comprises a first rod receivingsection and a second rod receiving section. The first rod receivingsection can include a generally cylindrical member that has an openingextending therethrough and the second rod receiving section can includea pair of spaced apart openings. A cylindrical member of a first sidelink is configured to be received between the pair of spaced apartopenings of a second side link and a rod member can be inserted throughthe opening in the cylindrical member of the first side link and thepair of spaced apart openings in the second side link to couple thefirst and second side links together.

In another embodiment, a method of frying food products is provided. Themethod includes delivering a food product onto a conveyor and into afryer comprising a base and a hood; conveying the food product under afirst baffle member and into a substantially enclosed frying chamber;and conveying the food product under a second baffle member and out ofthe frying chamber. The frying chamber can comprise a reservoir ofheated oil for at least partially frying the food product. The fryingchamber can be located between the first and second baffle member. Insome implementations, steam generated in the frying chamber can becaptured at a steam recapture port. In other implementations, air can beexhausted through a first opening in the hood upstream of the firstbaffle member and through a second opening in the hood downstream of thesecond baffle member. The exhausting of air through the first and secondopenings can restrict the air from outside the frying chamber fromflowing into the frying chamber. In some implementations, a distance ofa lower surface of the first or second baffle member from the conveyorcan be adjusted by raising or lowering the first or second bafflemember.

In certain implementations, the conveyor comprises a plurality of sidelinks, rod members, and slidable members. The act of conveying the foodproduct can include providing a pair of recessed channels in the base ofthe fryer; coupling the side links to one another via the rod members,the rod members extending across the width of the fryer; positioning theslidable members between the side links and the recessed channels; andmoving the conveyor so that only the slidable members contact therecessed channels.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of thedisclosed embodiments will become more apparent from the followingdetailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanyingfigures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a novel fryer.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a novel frying system.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fryer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fryer shown in FIG.1, illustrating a baffle member configured to substantially enclose aside of a frying chamber.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a novel fryer, illustratinga substantially enclosed frying chamber that comprises a plurality offrying stages.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a novel conveyor system.

FIG. 7 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the novel conveyorsystem shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the novel conveyorsystem shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a pair of channels configured to receivethe conveyor system shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of the channelsand the conveyor system shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended tolimit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in anyway. Various changes to the described embodiment may be made in thefunction and arrangement of the elements described herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

As used in this application and in the claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include the plural forms unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Additionally, the term “includes” means “comprises.”Further, the terms “coupled” and “associated” generally meanelectrically, electromagnetically, and/or physically (e.g., mechanicallyor chemically) coupled or linked and does not exclude the presence ofintermediate elements between the coupled or associated items absentspecific contrary language.

Although the operations of exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methodmay be described in a particular, sequential order for convenientpresentation, it should be understood that disclosed embodiments canencompass an order of operations other than the particular, sequentialorder disclosed. For example, operations described sequentially may insome cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Further,descriptions and disclosures provided in association with one particularembodiment are not limited to that embodiment, and may be applied to anyembodiment disclosed.

Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not showthe various ways (readily discernable, based on this disclosure, by oneof ordinary skill in the art) in which the disclosed system, method, andapparatus can be used in combination with other systems, methods, andapparatuses. Additionally, the description sometimes uses terms such as“produce” and “provide” to describe the disclosed method. These termsare high-level abstractions of the actual operations that can beperformed. The actual operations that correspond to these terms can varydepending on the particular implementation and are, based on thisdisclosure, readily discernible by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a novel fryer 10. Fryer 10comprises a base 12 and a hood 14. Base 12 has one or more oil receivingareas and one or more conveyor belts configured to transport product(e.g., a food article) from a first end 16 (inlet) to a second end 18(outlet). Hood 14 can be coupled to base 12 in a substantially air-tightmanner. Conventional fryer hoods are generally “liftable” for removingor raising the hood for cleaning of the interior of the fryer. Hood 14,however, is preferably generally fixed (i.e., non-liftable) to base 12.By fixing hood 14 to base 12 in a secured, non-liftable manner, it ispossible to achieve a more efficient seal between the two elements,which can further improve the efficiency of a frying chamber (asdiscussed below) of the fryer.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of fryer 10. Fryer10 can comprise one or more frying areas 20 that contain oil 26 withinan oil receiving area 28. An infeed conveyor 11 can be positioned atinlet 16 for directing product into fryer 10. At least one internalconveyor 13 can carry product received from infeed conveyor 11 throughoil receiving area 28 and direct the product towards outlet 18 and outof fryer 10. Product that exits fryer 10 through outlet 18 can bedirected onto an outfeed conveyor 15 to transport the product to anotherlocation for further processing.

Oil receiving area 28 can comprise at least one reservoir (e.g., akettle or vat) for holding oil for frying a food article. A first bafflemember 22 and a second baffle member 24 can be positioned within fryer10 to define a substantially enclosed frying chamber 30. To restrict airbaffle members 22, 24 can form a wall or partial wall between fryingchamber 30 and areas outside of frying chamber 30 on both the inlet andoutlet sides of frying chamber 30. In the exemplary embodiment, bafflemembers 22, 24 extend downward from hood 14 and generally restrict airfrom entering frying chamber 30 through inlet 16 and outlet 18. Inparticular, baffles 22, 24 can extend from the top of the hood andacross the width of the interior of the hood. Baffles 22, 24 can extenddownward towards the surface of oil 26 in the oil receiving area andopenings or gaps 32, 34 can be formed between the surface of oil 26 andthe lower portion of baffles 22, 24. Preferably, the lower portions ofbaffles 22, 24 approach, but do not contact, the surface of oil 26, toallow product to move under baffles 22, 24 when entering and exitingfrying chamber 30.

Because frying chamber 30 is substantially enclosed it provides a highlyefficient frying system. First, because baffles 22, 24 greatly reduceair infiltration into frying chamber 30, the amount of energy requiredto heat the oil in the first place can be reduced. In particular, lessenergy is required to maintain the temperature of the oil within thefrying chamber 30 since the surrounding air is primarily hightemperature steam. Second, high temperature steam 36, which wouldotherwise be waste heat, can be directed to an steam recapture port 38for reuse in this or another energy consuming process. For example, therecaptured heat (steam) can be directed to a heat exchanger to recoverthe thermal energy of the steam, or it can be directly transferred toanother source to heat that source as desired.

To further improve the efficiency of fryer 10, a first exhaust port 40can be provided at the inlet side of the first baffle 22 and a secondexhaust port 42 can be provided at the outlet side of the second baffle24. First and second exhaust ports 40, 42 draw outside air 44 (andpotentially a small amount of steam from the oil in the portion of thereservoir outside the baffles and/or from gaps 32, 34) upwards throughfirst and second exhaust ports 40, 42. Thus, outside air is directedaway from gaps 32, 34 and thereby restricting outside air from enteringfrying chamber 30 between the surface of oil 26 and the lower portion ofbaffles 22, 24. First and second exhaust ports 40, 42 can include a fanmember configured to draw air towards them and away from gaps 32, 34,creating a negative pressure area outside of the frying chamber andadjacent to the baffle members 22, 24 (e.g., upstream of the firstbaffle 22 and downstream of the second baffle 24). Thus, all outside airis being pulled away from bottom of baffles 22, 24 and very little, ifany, air is being pulled under baffles 22, 24 and into frying chamber30.

As noted above, because oil 26 is present outside of baffles 22, 24 andsome steam from inside frying chamber 30 can potentially escape fromfrying chamber 30 through gaps 32, 34, exhaust ports 40, 42 can alsodraw a small amount of warm air or steam from the oil 26 and, to someextent, out of fryer chamber 30. Accordingly, cooler air from outsidefrying chamber 30 is generally prevented from entering frying chamber30, which improves the efficiency of frying chamber 30 and increases theamount of reusable steam generated inside frying chamber 30 forrecapture and reuse by steam recapture port 38.

Referring again to FIG. 1, steam recapture port 38 and exhaust ports 40,42 are shown as generally rectangular openings in hood 14. However, itshould be understood that other shapes and configurations (e.g., round,oval, etc.) of the steam recapture and exhaust ports can be provided.

FIG. 3 is another view of fryer 10, showing baffles 22, 24 positionedbetween exhaust ports 40, 42. Each baffle 22, 24 can include a baffleadjustment member 44. Baffle adjustment members 44 can operate to move arespective baffle up or down to adjust the height of the baffle relativeto a conveyor and/or a surface of the oil in fryer 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates baffle adjustment member 44 and the operation ofbaffle 22 in more detail. Although FIG. 4 illustrates only baffle 22, itshould be understood that both baffles 22, 24 can function in the samegeneral manner. As shown in FIG. 4, oil receiving area 28 can have alower surface 46 that is covered with oil 26. Conveyor 13 comprises atop portion 48 and a bottom portion 50, both of which can be submergedin oil 26, at least within the primary frying area (e.g., frying chamber30).

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the sides and top of baffle 22 aregenerally flush with the side walls and top wall of hood 14 to restrictthe flow of air therebetween. Lower surface 52 of baffle 22 and the topsurface of the oil 26 can have a gap 32 formed therebetween to allowproduct to pass under lower surface 52 as described above. A height ofgap 32 can be adjusted by vertically moving baffle 22 up or down and/orby adjusting the height of the oil 26 in oil receiving area 28. Forexample, if larger product (or greater amounts of individual product)will be delivered into and out of frying chamber 30 under baffles 22,24, it may be necessary to raise the baffles to increase the distancebetween the oil surface and the lower portions of the baffles. Thus,when increasing the amount or size of product feed into frying chamber30, raising baffles relative to the conveyor surface and/or oil surfacecan allow the product to more easily pass under the baffles. Of course,by increasing the height of a baffle, such as baffle 22, the efficiencyof frying chamber 30 (and the available stream recapture energy) may besomewhat reduced. Preferably, the distance between the oil surface andthe lower portion of baffle 22 is about 0.5-10 inches, and morepreferably about 1-5 inches.

Referring again to FIG. 4, baffle adjustment member 44 can be coupled tobaffle 22 via one or more arms 54. Arms 54 can extend through an openingin hood 14. Thus, by adjusting baffle adjustment member 44, arms 54 canmove up or downward to adjust the position of baffle 22, and moreparticularly, to adjust the position of the lower portion 52 of bafflerelative to the surface of the oil 26.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a fryer 10. FIG. 5 is similarto FIG. 1; however, FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of frying sectionswithin frying chamber 30. A first frying section 60 comprises a firstconveyor 62 that delivers product into frying chamber 30. Frying chamber30 is divided by a wall member 64, which separates first frying section60 from a second frying section 66. Thus, wall member 64 separates theoil receiving area into two separate reservoirs.

First conveyor 62 can have an inclined section 68 that extends out ofthe first reservoir of oil in section 60 to deliver product from firstfrying section 60 into second frying section 66. First and second fryingsections can be generally the same in terms of size and operation;alternatively, they can differ from one another.

In one embodiment, first frying section 60 can be a batter fryingsection and second frying section 66 can comprise a main frying section.Batter frying section can have a product depth, oil depth, fryingtemperature, and product delivery rate conducive to allowing a batter orother coating on a food article to “set” on the food article beforeleaving first frying section 60. To facilitate batter setting, forexample, the average product bed depth can be relatively small, such asless than about 2 inches, or even less than about 1 inch. In addition,the residence time of product in the first frying section can besignificantly shorter than that of the second frying section. Forexample, the first frying section can have a residence time of abouthalf or one-third of that of the second frying section. Preferably, theresidence time of the first frying section is less than about 30 secondsand, more preferably between about 10 and 25 seconds. In one embodiment,the residence time of product in the first frying section is about 15seconds.

As noted above, second frying section 66 can comprise a main or primaryfrying section. Product can exit first frying section 60 (e.g., a batterfrying section) by moving up the inclined section 68 of first conveyor62. Inclined section 68 directs product over wall member 64 and intosecond frying section 66. Thus, product is dropped off the end of firstconveyor 62 into an oil-receiving area of second frying section 66 thatis separate from an oil-receiving area in first frying section 60. Onceproduct is delivered into the second frying section 66, it can betransported downstream on a second conveyor 70. Since second fryingsection 66 is separated from first frying section 60 by wall member 64,it can provide different frying conditions (e.g., oil, flow rates, oillevels/bed depth, temperatures) than those provided in first fryingsection 66.

As noted above, second frying section 66 can have a longer residencetime for product (e.g., slower conveyor speeds). In addition, secondfrying section 66 can have, if desired, different frying temperatures,different frying oils, larger product bed depths, and various otheroperational and physical differences from first frying section 60. Thus,in one embodiment, for example, a bed depth can be greater than about 2inches and, more preferably greater than 3 inches, and more preferablyabout 4 inches. The residence time of the product in the second fryingsection can be about 60-120 seconds, and more preferably between about70 and 90 seconds.

Second conveyor 70 can be generally similar to first conveyor 62.Product can be advanced downstream along second conveyor 70 and out ofthe second frying section 66 via an inclined section 72 of secondconveyor 70. Baffle 24 can be positioned upstream from inclined section72 to generally enclose the frying chamber 30 and restrict the entranceof outside air into frying chamber 30 from the downstream side (e.g.,outlet 18). After passing under baffle 24, product can be raised out ofthe oil by movement up inclined section 72, which can then deliver theproduct onto an outfeed conveyor for removal from the fryer for furtherprocessing.

In an exemplary embodiment, the fryer can have a substantially constantwidth. That is the width of the first conveyor and the width of thesecond conveyor (and the width of their respective oil containing areasor kettles) can be substantially the same. The width of the fryer ispreferably greater than about 50 inches and more preferably greater thanabout 60 inches. In one embodiment, the width of the fryer is about 72inches. The length of the first and second frying sections can besubstantially the same. Thus, the residence time can be adjusted byproviding different conveyor speeds in the first and second fryingsections.

As described above, hood 14 is preferably substantially fixed to base 12to achieve a generally air-tight seal within fryer 10. Since hood 14 isgenerally non-removable, a plurality of ports 74 can be provided toallow viewing and/or physical access into the fryer 10. Ports 74 canhave generally transparent windows to allow such viewing access and/orcan open to allow physical access into the interior of fryer 10.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3, separate valve banks 75 can beprovided for controlling the oil in the first and second frying sections60, 66. Valve banks 75 can be configured to add and remove oil from theoil-receiving areas of first and second frying sections 60, 66. In oneembodiment, oil can be drained from the oil-receiving areas, filteredand returned to the oil-receiving areas. In another embodiment, valvebanks 75 can control the draining of oil from the oil-receiving areasand, once drained, the oil-receiving areas and the inside of the fryercan be cleaned using a clean-in-place system.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, a novel chain design and belt containmentmechanism is provided. FIG. 6 illustrates a conveyor system 80 thatcomprises a plurality of side links 82, a plurality of rod members 84,and a plurality of slidable members 86. Rod members 84 extend across thewidth of the conveyor and are configured to support a product carryingmember, such as a wire cloth (not shown) or other surface that canextend across rod members and transport product from one location toanother.

As shown in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of side links 82can be interconnected by rod members 84. As shown in FIG. 8, each sidelink 82 can have a first rod receiving area 88 and a second rodreceiving area 90. First rod receiving area 88 can be defined by anopening in a generally cylindrical member and second rod receiving area90 can be defined by two spaced-apart openings. Thus, the generallycylindrical member of a first rod receiving area 88 of a first side linkcan be received between the two spaced-apart openings of a second rodreceiving area 90 of a second side link. A rod member 84 can be extendedthrough both the first rod receiving area 88 of a first side link andthe second rod receiving area 90 of a second side link, thereby couplingthe first and second side links together. For clarity, only a portion ofrod member 84 is shown in FIG. 8.

Side links 82 are preferably formed of steel or other similar materialsto provide sufficient strength to support the rod members and loadscarried by the rod members (e.g., product carrying member and theproduct carried thereon during operation). To reduce friction and wearrelative to a surface of the fryer which is also preferably formed of ametal (e.g., steel), side links 82 can be received at least partiallyinto a slidable member 86.

Slidable member 86 can be configured to be received within and maintaincontact with a slotted section of the fryer that defines the directionand path of travel of the conveyor member (FIGS. 9 and 10). Accordingly,slidable member 86 is preferably formed of a material that is generallyslidable relative to the slotted section. In addition, to reduce thefrequency or need to replace the slidable member, slidable member 86 ispreferably formed of a wear-resistant material that can cooperate withthe material of the slotted section. If the slotted section is steel ora similar metal, the wear material can be, for example, a polyetherether ketone (PEEK) material.

Thus, to reduce friction between the slotted section and the side link82, side links 82 preferably do not contact the slotted section of thefryer. Accordingly, a slidable member is preferably positioned betweeneach side link 82 and the slotted sections to restrict and/or reducecontact between the slotted section and the side links. In the exemplaryembodiment, each slidable member 86 has an inside face and an outsideface. The outside face faces the slotted sections and the inside facefaces the inside of the fryer. Each slidable member comprises a recessedsection 92 on its inside face, and the recessed section is sized toreceive a portion 94 of side link member 82 that extends towards theslotted section. As shown in FIG. 7, the outside face (e.g., back side)of each slidable member 86 comprises a recessed hole 96 for receiving aretainer 98 that couples a rod member 84 to the slidable member 86.Thus, retainers 98 can extend into the recessed hole 96 to couple therod member to the slidable member without contacting or extending outtoward the slotted section.

FIG. 9 illustrates a pair of slotted sections or channels 100 in whichthe slidable members 86 move. Because the conveyor is an endlessconveyor (i.e., a continuous loop), a top channel and a bottom channelare provided for receiving slidable members 86. In many conventionalsystems, side guides or rails that extend from a side wall of the fryercreate surfaces on which oil can pool and crumbs can accumulate. Slottedsections 100 are preferably recessed so that the area above and belowthe slotted sections are generally flush with the walls of the hood(see, e.g., FIGS. 4 and 10). By providing slidable members 86 that ridein slotted sections 100 within the recessed channels, crumb collectingsurfaces such as side guides or rails along the side of the belt can beeliminated.

As shown in FIG. 10, slidable members 86 preferably fit relativelytightly inside the top and bottom slotted sections 100 so that there areno surfaces (other than the belt itself) that extend from the side wallof the fryer base. This configuration substantially prevents orrestricts crumbs and other debris from accumulating along the side ofthe conveyor, which can degrade the oil and result in a potential firehazard.

Instead of using slidable members as wear-resistant elements (e.g., PEEKmembers), a stationary surface, such as along the entire the slottedsection itself, can be formed of wearresistant material. However, it canbe difficult and time consuming to replace a wear-resistant materialthat extends the length of the slotted section. Accordingly, a pluralityof separate slidable members 86 are preferably formed of wear-resistantmaterial and coupled to side links as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus,slidable members 86 can be easily inspected and, if desired,individually replaced without removing other portions of the conveyor(e.g., belt, rod members, etc.). Moreover, because this design canincorporate structurally strong side links (e.g., steel side links), itis capable of supporting a heavy duty belt and rod members.

Not only does the elimination of side guides and rails along the side ofthe conveyor belt reduce crumb collection and other accumulation ofdebris, it makes it easier to clean the inside of the fryer. Asdiscussed in detail above, the fryer hood is preferably secured to thebase in a generally non-removable manner. This structure, together withthe fryer's design, facilitates cleaning of the inside of the fryerusing clean in place technology. Thus, a plurality of a hoses andsprayer nozzles can be positioned within the inside of the fryer. Byeliminating accumulation and collection areas, such as are presentbehind conventional side guides and rails, the hoses and sprayer nozzlescan clean the inside of the fryer more effectively.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thedisclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that theillustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention andshould not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, thescope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We thereforeclaim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit ofthese claims.

We claim:
 1. A fryer comprising: a base having a reservoir for receivingoil for frying a food product; a hood coupled to the base and having aninlet at an upstream section and an outlet at a downstream section; atleast one conveyor configured to move food products from the inlet tothe outlet; a first baffle member positioned over the at least oneconveyor; and a second baffle member positioned over the at least oneconveyor downstream of the first baffle member; wherein the first andsecond baffle members define a frying chamber therebetween and the firstand second baffle members restrict air from flowing into the fryingchamber from outside of the frying chamber.
 2. The fryer of claim 1,wherein the first and second baffle members extend downward from a topportion of the hood and extend across the width of the hood tosubstantially restrict air from flowing into the frying chamber.
 3. Thefryer of claim 2, wherein the first and second baffle members extenddownward so that a lower portion of the first and second baffle membersis adjacent to a top surface of the at least one conveyor.
 4. The fryerof claim 3, wherein the first and second baffle members are verticallymovable to adjust a distance between the lower surface of the first andsecond baffles and the top surface of the at least one conveyor.
 5. Thefryer of claim 1, wherein the hood further comprises a steam recaptureport positioned between the first and second baffle members.
 6. Thefryer of claim 1, wherein the hood further comprises at least oneexhaust port positioned outside of the frying chamber in the vicinity ofat least one of the first and second baffle members, the at least oneexhaust port being configured to restrict air from outside of the fryingchamber from entering the frying chamber.
 7. The fryer of claim 1,wherein the frying chamber comprises a first frying section and a secondfrying section separated from the first frying section by a wall member.8. The fryer of claim 7, wherein the at least one conveyor comprises afirst conveyor member that moves the food product through the firstfrying section and a second conveyor member that moves the food productthrough the second frying section, wherein the first conveyor member hasan inclined section to raise the food product over the wall member. 9.The fryer of claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor comprises aplurality of side links coupled together via rod members that extendacross width of the conveyor, the conveyor further comprising aplurality of slidable members positioned between the side links and achannel extending along at least a portion of the base, the channelconfigured to receive the plurality of slidable members of the at leastone conveyor.
 10. The fryer of claim 1, wherein the hood is coupled tothe base in a fixed, non-liftable manner.
 11. A conveyor system for afryer, comprising: a base having a reservoir for receiving oil forfrying a food product; a top and bottom channel in the base, the top andbottom channels being recessed relative to the side wall of the base; aconveyor for moving food product from an upstream area of the fryer to adownstream area of the fryer, the conveyor comprising a plurality ofside links coupled together via rod members extending across the widthof the conveyor; and a plurality of slidable, wear-resistant membersextending into the top and bottom channels in the base, each slidablemember configured to receive at least a portion of one side link toretain the conveyor in the top and bottom channels and restrict contactof the side links with the base.
 12. The conveyor system of claim 11,wherein the slidable member comprises a polyether ether ketone.
 13. Theconveyor system of claim 11, wherein the slidable members are generallythe same width as a depth of the top and bottom channels.
 14. Theconveyor system of claim 11, wherein each slidable member comprises arecessed portion on an inside face for receiving a portion of the sidelink that extends outward towards the top and bottom channels, and eachslidable member comprises a recessed portion on an outside face toreceive a retainer for securing the rod member to the slidable member.15. The conveyor system of claim 11, wherein each side link comprises afirst rod receiving section and a second rod receiving section, thefirst rod receiving section comprising a generally cylindrical memberthat has an opening extending therethrough, the second rod receivingsection comprising a pair of spaced apart openings, and a cylindricalmember of a first side link is configured to be received between thepair of spaced apart openings of a second side link and a rod memberinserted through the opening in the cylindrical member of the first sidelink and the pair of spaced apart openings in the second side link tocouple the first and second side links together.
 16. A method of fryingfood products, comprising: delivering a food product onto a conveyor andinto a fryer comprising a base and a hood; conveying the food productunder a first baffle member and into a substantially enclosed fryingchamber, the frying chamber comprising a reservoir of heated oil for atleast partially frying the food product; and conveying the food productunder a second baffle member and out of the frying chamber; wherein thefirst and second baffle member define the frying chamber therebetween.17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: capturing steamgenerated in the frying chamber at a steam recapture port.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising: exhausting air through a firstopening in the hood upstream of the first baffle member; and exhaustingair through a second opening in the hood downstream of the second bafflemember, wherein the exhausting of air through the first and secondopenings restricts the flow of air from outside the frying chamber intothe frying chamber.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:adjusting a distance of a lower surface of the first or second bafflemember from the conveyor by raising or lowering the first or secondbaffle member.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the conveyorcomprises a plurality of side links, rod members, and slidable members,and the act of conveying the food product comprises: providing a pair ofrecessed channels in the base of the fryer; coupling the side links toone another via the rod members, the rod members extending across thewidth of the fryer; positioning the slidable members between the sidelinks and the recessed channels; and moving the conveyor so that onlythe slidable members contact the recessed channels.